


deal with the devil

by amsves



Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Begging, Episode: s04e13 Shell Shocked Part 2, Gen, Whump, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:33:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27201157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amsves/pseuds/amsves
Summary: “Come, now. Are you really going to sacrifice your future, all the wonderful years you have ahead of you, for that?”“Wow, Viggo. Well, I guess when you put it that way, no I’m not!”He summoned all his strength and tossed the Dragon Eye high into the air. It soared, over Viggo’s head and towards the volcano--Until a hand reached up and caught it.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	deal with the devil

**Author's Note:**

> For Whumptober day 9 (Take Me Instead) and 16 (Forced to Beg) but I'm late whoops.
> 
> Also inspired by a prompt from @whumpster-dumpster on tumblr, which you can see [[here](https://whumpster-dumpster.tumblr.com/post/628868119690166272/rather-than-the-usual-whumper-is-creepily)].

_ “Come, now. Are you really going to sacrifice your future, all the wonderful years you have ahead of you, for that?” _

Hiccup studied the Dragon Eye in his hands. It was a wonderfully useful contraption, and he knew full well the dangers of allowing Viggo to have it. While he would love to keep it for himself, perhaps it was better if he didn’t … perhaps it would be for the best if  _ no one _ had it. 

“ Wow, Viggo,” he said, hating the way his voice shook, “Well, I guess when you put it that way…” He smiled. “No I’m  _ not _ !” 

He summoned all his strength and tossed the Dragon Eye high into the air. It soared, over Viggo’s head and towards the volcano--

Until a hand reached up and caught it.

Hiccup felt like he couldn’t breathe. Smirking victoriously, Viggo brought his arm back down and resecured it around Astrid’s waist. She must have been as shocked as Hiccup was, because she hadn’t even tried to take advantage of his loosened grip to run. And now it was too late.

“Excellent choice,” his enemy purred, and Hiccup knew he had made a grave error indeed.

“Now let her go,” he demanded, but his voice didn’t sound strong or authoritative. He sounded exactly as he felt: scared.

Viggo pretended to consider the proposition, but Hiccup already knew that he wouldn’t just hand Astrid over. He might have, if Hiccup had accepted the trade in the first place, but Hiccup had demonstrated that he wasn’t interested in playing fair. “No,” Viggo said at last, “I don’t think I will.”

Astrid elbowed him in the side, but it didn’t seem to affect him. Viggo’s leather armor must have been too thick for him to feel something like that. “You monster! Let me go!”

“Astrid, please. I’m trying to have a conversation with your beloved.” Viggo switched her axe--when had he taken her axe?--to his other hand before clamping down his now-free hand on her mouth. “Anyways. My dear Hiccup, you must know that you’ve made a mistake. Trying to put one over on me? I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Let her go,” he said again, but it sounded desperate, even to him. “You got what you wanted, now let Astrid go.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to sweeten the deal a bit more,” Viggo countered. “As you said, I got what I wanted. What incentive now do you have to make me do as you say?”

Nothing. Hiccup had nothing. But he had to try. “I’ll let you leave the island in peace. We won’t stop you.”

Viggo actually  _ laughed _ . “Try again.”

“I …” Hiccup racked his brain, trying to think of something,  _ anything _ he could say or do to free Astrid. A small part of his otherwise-occupied brain reminded him that this was exactly what he was afraid of, exactly what he had hoped would never come to pass. He ignored that part. “I--”

Astrid jerked her head to the side, and Viggo’s fingers came loose. “Don’t give him anything!”

Viggo clamped down on her mouth again, harder, hard enough that Hiccup heard her yelp through the hand gag. It looked like Viggo’s fingernails were digging half-moons into her skin. Hiccup winced. “Stop hurting her.”

“You see, my dear, that’s another thing  _ you  _ want. You need to give me something  _ I  _ want, preferably of equal value. Did your father never teach you about economics? Stoick should really have prepared you better for your future occupation.”

“Stop talking about my dad.”

“You really don’t get this at all, do you?” Viggo was absolutely toying with him, and by the wide smile on his face, he was enjoying it. 

Hiccup clenched his fists at his side. “What do you  _ want _ , then? How am I supposed to bargain with you when I don’t know what you  _ want _ ?”

“But you do know.” 

With those four words, Hiccup’s stomach dropped. Because he did know. Viggo had only ever wanted one thing. Well, two things, but only one that Hiccup could give him. Himself.

He looked at Astrid. Her eyes were wide, like she had come to the same conclusion as him. She shook her head side to side, telling him not to, but Hiccup’s mind was made up. “What if I went with you? Would you release her and take me instead?”

Viggo raised an eyebrow. “That’s much better. I’m glad you’re finally listening.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Not quite.”

Hiccup wanted to bash his head on a rock. “ _ What will it take _ ?” he shouted, unable to control his emotions any longer. Viggo had Astrid and the Dragon Eye. Viggo held all the cards. Hiccup had nothing, and while he was used to being outnumbered and outgeared, he had never felt so powerless.

“Beg.”

“What?”

“Beg to take her place. Beg me to allow you to join me. Then, I’ll consider your trade.”

Haddocks didn’t beg. No proud Viking would beg. If his father could see Hiccup now, even  _ considering  _ the idea, he would be well within his rights to say those dreadful words again that he had said all those years ago-- _ You’re not my son. _

But his father wasn’t here. No one was here, except Hiccup, Viggo, and Astrid. No one would know his shame except the three of them. 

Slowly, Hiccup got down on one knee, and then the other. The rough, rocky surface of the ground near the volcano dug into his skin through his thin pants. “Let me take Astrid’s place. Let me come with you.”

Viggo had always been a little taller than Hiccup, but when Hiccup was down on his knees and Viggo was riding Stormfly, the difference was greatly exaggerated. Viggo looked down on him like he was playing Maces & Talons and Hiccup was a game piece. Was Hiccup the Viking Chief, fighting back against the Marauders like he had always thought he was? Or was he just a Hunter, manipulated for Viggo’s own end? 

Perhaps he was even the Traitor. Grovelling on his knees didn’t bring with it the image of loyalty.

“I know we Vikings aren’t exactly known for our manners, but it wouldn’t hurt to say please.”

“If I do, will that be enough?”

Viggo drew a thin line on Astrid’s arm with the blade of her axe. Viscous, red blood beaded and fell. “Perhaps. You’d better try and find out.”

Hiccup was accosted with the mental image of himself balling up any pride he had left and tossing it into the volcano. Like the Dragon Eye, Viggo caught that too. He sighed. “Please. Let me take Astrid’s place. Let me go with you.”

“A bit more emotion, if you would.”

“ _ PLEASE! _ ” 

His traitorous screams echoed through the mountains for several seconds. When they finally faded, Viggo spoke. “If you insist. Come to me, my dear Hiccup, and I will release Astrid. But she mustn’t follow us, and we must be allowed to leave the island unhindered, as you promised.”

Hiccup pushed himself to his feet and staggered over to Stormfly. He felt exhausted, like he had fought a thousand battles without rest. When he finally reached Stormfly’s side, Viggo pulled Astrid’s axe away from her body and held it at Hiccup’s neck instead. Then, he uncovered her mouth. “Leave.”

She wasted no time hopping off of Stormfly’s back. Then, instead of running, Astrid turned back to Viggo and extended her hand. “Give me my axe.”

“I made no promises about the return of your property,” Viggo chided, “ _ Or _ your dragon.”

Hiccup could see it dawn on Astrid that Stormfly hadn’t been part of the bargain. It hurt to realize it, but he hadn’t considered asking for her freedom at all, either. He had been too focused on her riders.

“Leave,” Viggo ordered again. 

Astrid gave Hiccup a long, pained look. Then she tore her eyes away and climbed onto Toothless’ back. They bounded down the hill. 

Viggo pulled Hiccup up to sit on Stormfly. One of his arms was firmly around Hiccup’s waist, the other with Astrid’s axe to his neck, the exact position he had held Astrid in just a few minutes prior. Had they flown up to the top of the volcano like this? They must have.

“I’ll give you directions. You do the flying. Any funny business, and I’ll lop your head off.”

“You sound like Ryker,” Hiccup muttered, but they rose into the air all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me and request bingo squares on Tumblr (I’m @therewillbebeauty)! I'm playing both Fluff Bingo and Bad Things Happen Bingo, so I can either torture or pamper your fave--or both!


End file.
